A Westminster High School staffer has pleaded no contest to false reporting for calling police and telling them the school’s principal had been drinking and driving.
Tony Streno, an athletic director at Westminster, called police on March 18 to report that the school’s principal, Pat Sanchez, was drinking and driving, said Trevor Materasso, a Westminster Police Department spokesman.
Streno reported to police that he saw Sanchez in the parking lot of Dave and Buster’s, 10667 Westminster Blvd., and Sanchez appeared to be drunk as he got into his vehicle. Streno also told police that Sanchez almost hit a car as he drove through the parking lot.
Officers responded and found Sanchez, and found him to be sober, Materasso said.
“They made some observations,” Materasso said, and driving behind him found “nothing consistent with a vehicle being driven by an intoxicated person.”
Still, just in case, the principal was pulled over.
“We made contact with Sanchez,” Materasso said. “Clearly, he was not intoxicated.”
Investigators then began looking at Streno and his report.
“They determined it was false reporting and they issued a municipal ticket,” Materasso said.
Sanchez has since left the school district.
Streno, who could not be reached Friday for comment, was cited on April 6.
On August 10 he entered a no-contest plea and was sentenced to one-year probation, $420 in fines and court costs, and ordered to take an anger management class.
Streno is currently on paid administrative leave from Adams County School District 50, said Steve Saunders, a district spokesman.
Now that the case has been resolved legally, school officials should make a decision in a week or two on what Streno’s status will be with the district.
Westminster High School has a new principal and new athletic director this school year.
